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Ripstop NY/CO: Cotton kills.. right?

Hello fellow hammock hangers and DIYers,

I've been hunting for new ripstop patterns to make a diy project out of.. and I keep finding this half ripstop half cotton stuff. Anybody have any experience with it? The only concern I have is the old saying that cotton kills in the winter.. Should I stay away from it or do you think I'm safe? It seems like it'd be a comfy soft hammock.. thoughts?

It would tend to retain moisture where your ripstop tends to dry quicker. Heck, I've got bluejeans going for another turn in the dryer right now. See I got an intelligent dryer that by act of congress decides exactly the right moment to shut off leaving the fabric just moist enough to go straight into mildew. Gotta hit it with Odoban after that if you CAN get the mildew out.

At SPADfest this year, when I would get up, because of the close proximity of my Superfly my hammock would receive a nice little rainstorm from the dew collected on the underside of my tarp. But it would be dry in no time. My cotten based blanket was dry after I hung it out in the sun for half a day.

I have some BDU cotton rip-stop pants that I wear on hot weather canoe trips. I like them because they're cool, rugged, abrasion resistant, comfy, they burn off of you, instead of melting into you, if they catch fire and yes they dry very quickly. If you try it, let us know how it works out.

IMO the problem with cotton is it absorbs. Unlike wool which wicks and stays reasonably dry, cotton soaks water up and retains it. That's the basis of the mantra "cotton kills". A cotton hammock would soak up any condensation and could turn into a soggy mess. While a breathable nylon would allow the vapor to pass through, cotton could soak it up.

That said, many of the hammocks used for full time sleeping are made of cotton and have a luxurious feel to them. I'm not familiar with a cotton/nylon mixture whether ripstop pattern or not. Something in my mind has an "ick" quality. But I'm more than willing to pass that off as my own gut reaction. If you have the cash to throw at an experiment... go for it. It sounds heavy but who knows. It might be worth it.

I may be slow... But I sure am gimpy.

"Bless you child, when you set out to thread a needle don't hold the thread still and fetch the needle up to it; hold the needle still and poke the thread at it; that's the way a woman most always does, but a man always does t'other way."
Mrs. Loftus to Huck Finn